Detailed design documentation, without the pain

Producing detailed forms of design documentation, such as pseudocode and structured flowcharts, to describe the procedures of a software system: (1) allows software developers to model and discuss their understanding of a problem and the design of a solution free from the syntax of a programming language, (2) facilitates deeper involvement of non-technical stakeholders, such as the customer or project managers, whose influence ensures the quality, correctness and timeliness of the resulting system, (3) forms comprehensive documentation of the system for its future maintenance, reuse and/or redeployment. However, such forms of documentation require effort to create and maintain. This paper describes a software tool which is currently being developed within the Space Systems Research Group at the University of Dundee which aims to improve the utility of, and the incentive for, creating detailed design documentation for the procedures of a software system. The rationale for creating such a tool is briefly discussed, followed by a description of the tool itself, a summary of its perceived benefits, and plans for future work.